The present invention relates to metallic stud frames of a type used in the formation of construction panels used in residential, commercial and roadside applications.
Historically, such panels were formed of combinations of wood, steel or concrete. In the case of load bearing structures, it is common to use a steel bar, known as rebars, within a poured concrete structure. The use of vertical light gauge steel studs, e.g., 10–25 gauge, in lieu of wooden studs to accomplish internal framing within a wood frame structure, is also known in the art. It is, however, not known to employ specially-configured thin gauge vertical studs in combination with exterior and interior wall concretes in which the vertical stud operates to define an offset distance between exterior and interior poured concrete walls having vertical steel studs and insulative materials therebetween.
A need for such a steel stud system has arisen as a consequence of rapid on-site assembly high techniques employing thin internal concrete walls which have developed in the construction arts. Therein, the prior art is reflected in such patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,540 (1973) to Latoria et al, entitled Pre-Cast Concrete Building Panels; U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,753 (1994) to Sanger, entitled Construction Wall Panel and Panel Structure; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,933 (2002) to Owens, entitled Pre-Cast Wall Panel. The present invention, primarily because of the special geometry of its thin gauge steel vertical studs, represents an improvement over the prior art in its area.